avoid the fiscal cliff and people's taxes going up or do nothing and let it happen. we didn't want to be in that position but speaker boehner pulled out of the deal a week and a half ago. it's not fair to blame the president. >> i have to ask you about this question. this is one of the big sticking points left. whose taxes go up, people making over $250,000 as the president wants or republicans suggested nobody or people making over a million dollars but you, senator schumer, had proposed raising taxes only on those making over a million dollars. i want to take a look at what you said the proposal going up $250,000 last year. you said in the eyes of many, it is hard to ask households making $250,000 or $300,000 a year in large parts of the country, that kind of income does not get you a big home or lots of vacations or anything else that is associated with wealth. it also would affect too many small businesses. weren't you right back then when you said wrong to raise taxes on those. >> we offered that our republican colleagues two years ago when the political landsca